If an aircraft has a gross weight of 2,000 pounds in a constant-altitude 60° bank, what would the total load be?

In a level turn, the load factor increases due to the additional forces acting on the aircraft because of the bank angle. The load factor (or total load) can be calculated using the formula:

[ \text{Load Factor} = \frac{1}{\cos(\theta)} ]

where (\theta) is the bank angle. For a 60° bank angle, the cosine of 60° is 0.5. Thus,

[ \text{Load Factor} = \frac{1}{0.5} = 2. ]

This means that the aircraft experiences twice the weight during the turn. Therefore, if the gross weight of the aircraft is 2,000 pounds, the total load experienced in the turn would be:

[ \text{Total Load} = \text{Gross Weight} \times \text{Load Factor} = 2,000 \text{ pounds} \times 2 = 4,000 \text{ pounds}. ]

This is why the total load in a constant-altitude 60° bank is 4,000 pounds. Understanding this principle is critical for pilots, as it affects performance and maneuverability.